Shipping container



Dec. 11,1935. 5 1 c, MILLER 2,024,801

SHIPPING CONTAINER File d Nov. 5, 1954 Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIPPING CONTAINER Application November 5, 1934, Serial No. 751,626

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shipping cases or crates for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets.

Primarily, the object of the invention is to 5 provide a crate for shipping baskets of fruit, for instance strawberries, wherein damaging of the fruit as by bruising is eliminated. As is well known, berry crates are usually packed with a number of individual receptacles or baskets arranged therein in two or more superposed layers with dividers interposed between each two layers to support the layers above such dividers. In most prior instances each of these dividers rests directly on the layer of baskets beneath it and, in a great many instances the dividers are provided with spacer ribs for preventing contact of the divider with the fruit. However, such spacer ribs almost invariably contact or impinge upon the fruit, resulting in the bruising thereof so as to reduce its saleability and sales price.

In carrying out the present invention, this bruising or damaging of the fruit is entirely eliminated by the combined use of baskets of particular construction and dividers of novel construction. More specifically, the baskets are provided with extensions projecting above their rims and the extensions of a layer of baskets constitute a support for a divider above the baskets so that the fruit may protrude above the basket rims without danger of being damaged by the intermediate portion of the divider. To prevent the extremities of the dividers, and particularly the ends thereof, being accidentally displaced inwardly of the baskets and damaging the fruit, said extremities are provided with means for preventing such movement of the divider. Preferably this is accomplished by transverse lines of weakness adjacent the divider ends so that said ends may be bent or offset to occupy a. space between the baskets and the walls of the crate, as by bending them downwardly whereby any undue longitudinal movement of the divider will be prevented or limited by the bent or offset portions engaging against the exterior surfaces of the baskets. In addition to affording maximum protection to the fruit, this particular form of divider is also advantageous in that it can be used in combination with the particular form of basket with maximum efliciency in crates with either slatted or solid closed walls.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of a crate embodying the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred form of divider.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of an individual basket; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating one end portion of a modified form of divider.

The crate is illustrated as consisting of a bottom l0, slatted side and end walls ll, l2, respectively, and a hinged top or cover l3. Slatted sides and ends are probably preferable for ventilation purposes and for permitting at least partial inspection of the fruit but such construction is not essential as the present form of divider is equally adaptable for use with crates having solid or closed end walls.

The individual baskets for the berries or other fruit may be made of two lengths of rather thin material crossed upon each other to form sides l4, l5, secured together by a rim defining band It.

' The baskets are arranged in superposed layers in the crate as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with dividers l8 interposed between each two layers. To support each divider in spaced relation to the o rims of the baskets beneath it, two opposite sides of each basket are formed with extensions I l which project above the rim. These extensions also facilitate handling the baskets.

It will be appreciated that in the absence of some preventative, it is entirely possible a divider in a crate might move relatively to the layer of baskets on which said divider is supported with the result that an extremity of the divider will be displaced inwardly of the basket and mash or damage the fruit. This danger is overcome in the present instance by providing two opposite extremities of each divider with means engageable against the exterior side surfaces of the baskets. In the preferred construction the ends of the divider are formed with transverse lines of weakness l9, as by scoring, and when the divider is placed in the crate on top of a layer of baskets said ends, indicated at I8a, are bent and inserted in the space between the ends of the crate and the sides of the juxtaposed baskets. The ends l8a constitute stops in the form of offsets, which will engage the exterior surfaces of the end baskets upon excessive movement of a divider and thus absolutely prevent 55 the divider slipping oi? the projections and damaging the fruit. The ends I81: and the intermediate portions of the divider are, in effect, articulated elements. This arrangement is preferred as it permits the dividers to be packed together fiat when shipped inquantities.

This form of basket and divider, combined, absolutely prevent damage to the fruit so long as the baskets are not improperly filled. The pro jections on the baskets eliminate the use of spacer ribs on the. divider and the offset ends of the divider prevent undue movement of the divider relatively to the baskets on which it is supported;

The divider shown in Fig.- 3 is composed of a single piece of very thin material but this construction may be varied and a slatted construction, as shown in Fig. 5, used. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, a hinge element 20 may be provided for connecting the ends 3a to the main portion 1 8 of the divider. This member 20 can be used whether the ends l8a are formed separately'or by scoring.

I claim:

1. In combination, a shipping crate for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets, said crate having side and end walls, baskets adapted to be arranged in two superposed layers in said crate, vertical projections extending above the rims of said baskets, and a divider member interposed between said two layers of baskets, saiddivider being supported on the projections of the baskets beneath it, two opposite extremities of said divider being offset vertically at the exterior of the baskets whereby displacement of said extremities inwardly of the baskets is prevented.

2. In combination, a shipping crate for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets, said crate having side and end walls, baskets adapted to be arranged in two superposed layers in said crate, extensions projecting upwardly beyond the rim of each basket, a divider member interposed be- .tween said layers of baskets, 'said divider being supported on the extensions of the baskets b-eneath it, two extremities terminating short of the corresponding walls of the crate, and means on the ends of said divider engageable against the exterior surface of the baskets for preventing displacement of said extremities inwardly of the baskets.

3. In combination, a shipping crate for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets, said crate having side and end walls, baskets arranged in two superposed layers in said crate, extensions'projecting above the rim of each basket, and a divider member interposed between said two layers of baskets, said divider being supported by the extensions of the baskets beneath it in spaced relation to the rims of said baskets, and said divider having articulated extremities projecting beyond two oppositeboundaries of the lower layer of baskets whereby said extremities can be deflected and positioned between said layer of baskets and the walls of the crate.

4. In. combination, a shipping crate for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets,'said crate having side and end walls, baskets arranged in two superposed layers in said crate, extensions projecting above the rim of each basket, and a divider of less length than the interior longitudinal dimension of the crate interposed between the two layers of baskets, said divider beingsup ported on the extensions of the lower layer of baskets, the ends of said divider extending beyond the end boundaries of said lower layer of baskets and olfset into the space between said lower baskets and the end walls of the crate.

5. In combination, a shipping crate for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets, said crate having side and end walls, baskets arranged in two superposed layers in said crate, extensions 'pro-' jecting above the rim of each basket, and a divider interposed between the upper and lower layers of baskets, said divider being supported on the extensions of the lower layer of baskets, the length of said divider being such that two opposite extremities thereof project beyond the 40 corresponding boundaries of the lower layer of baskets, said two opposite extremities being formed with lines of weakness whereby said extremities can be positioned between the exterior surfaces of the baskets and the walls of said crate. J ULIEN C. MILLER. 

